Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
Mary Jean Heisler Jones passed away peacefully at her home in Orangevale, Calif., March 14, 2023, at the age of 86, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease.
Mary came into the world on Sept. 18, 1936, in The Dalles, Ore. An exceptional student with many talents, Mary loved to sing and play piano (a favorite uncle called her “our beloved songbird”) and she formed many lifelong friendships as a youth in her hometown. She was a member of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, achieving Grand Worthy Advisor of Oregon status. Mary attended the University of Oregon, majoring in music, and also studied at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore. She was married on Dec. 30, 1958, to Lynn Spencer Jones and finished her bachelor’s degree as a newlywed in San Diego, Calif.
Mary raised three children and lived most of her adult life in Sacramento, Calif. She went to work for the State of California at the age of 45, beginning a career that would last 20 years. After taking accounting classes at night school, Mary quickly moved up into a professional position with the state, becoming an examiner for the State Banking Department.
Always a loyal friend, she loved to return to the Pacific Northwest for “ladies’ beach weekend” every few years in Long Beach, Wash., and attended several high school class reunions into her late 70s and early 80s. She attended her 60th class reunion in 2014 and had a final ladies’ beach weekend and her 80th birthday party with friends and family in 2016. Mary moved to Carlton Senior Living in Orangevale, in early 2020 and developed many friendships with fellow residents and staff.
Mary was pre-deceased by her mother, Margaret Lucille “Nan” Heisler in 1994, age 86; younger brother Robert “Bob” Heisler in 1995, age 55; her father, Lane Monroe Heisler in 1999, age 89; and great-grandson Garrett in 2021, age 3. She is survived by children Mark, Nancy, and Bobby; daughter-in-law Luisa Siravo; son-in-law Mike Welch; her grandchildren Alessandra, Daniela, Michelle, Grant, Brandon, Rachel, Caroline, Sean, and Alison; great-grandchildren Isabela and Sean; and by her longtime buddy and companion Callie Jean Peaches the feline, age 15.
Mary will be memorialized alongside her parents in the Dufur Community Cemetery in Oregon. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Parkinson’s Foundation in Mary’s name.
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Rest in peace Mom 🥹. To all of Mom's many Oregon + Washington family and friends: you are in our thoughts as we celebrate Mom's eternal grace.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.